Sybil Ludington Facts

Statue of Sybil Ludington

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Introduction

Sybil Ludington was an American Revolutionary War Woman who became famous for her horseback ride through upstate New York
to warn militia that British troops were raiding and burning Danbury, Connecticut. What makes her ride even more
impressive than that of Paul Revere's ride is that she was just a kid of sixteen when she heroically rode a treacherous forty miles during the middle of the night. To find out
where her route took her, how she fended off outlaws during her ride and why there was such confusion over the spelling of her name, read the interesting facts and information
on the life of Sybil Ludington below.

Sybil Ludington Early Years

Sybil Ludington was born on April 5, 1761 to Henry and Abigail Ludington.

Sybil was the eldest of twelve children.

Colonel Henry Ludington, Sybil's father, was a volunteer militia officer and community leader who went on to become an aide to General George Washington.

Sybil Ludington's Ride

When Sybil's father got word that the British were attacking Danbury, she volunteered to ride through the countryside and
alert the militia, knowing they needed to muster as many troops as possible.

Sybil's ride on the night of April 26, 1777 took her through the towns of Kent, Mahopac and Stormville bringing her
through both Putnam and Dutchess Counties in New York.

During her late-night ride through the rain, which began at 9 PM, she managed to fend off British soldiers
and loyalists as well as outlaws that didn't side with either the British or the Americans. She traveled with a stick and
used it as necessary to defend herself against attacks.

Some historians believe that along Ludington's journey, a man offered to ride with her but she instead sent him east to
warn the town of Brewster.

When she arrived back home about 400 troops had gathered at the Ludington residence to fight the British.

Although the militia was not able to defend Danbury against attack, they were able to force the British to retreat in what became known as the Battle of
Ridgefield.

Sybil Ludington Interesting Facts

Ludington's hometown, once named Fredericksburg, was renamed Ludingtonville to honor Sybil's heroic acts.

Interestingly, Sybil Ludington's name is not found on any official documents spelled as Sybil. The spelling on her
tombstone says Sibbell, while her sister went by the spelling Sebil. To make things even more confusing, some documents
suggests she spelled her own name as Sebal, yet she is also appears on historic records as Sibel and Cybil.

At the age of twenty-three, Ludington married Edmond Ogden, a famer and innkeeper. They had only one son named Henry.

Sybil Ludington died on February 26, 1839, at the age of 77. She was buried in Patterson, New York, at the same cemetery as her father.